1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing and editing apparatus, an image reproducing apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing and editing method and image file reproducing method suitable for capturing and editing and the like of a stereo image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of systems for shooting and recording an image, containing stereo information, and reproducing the image for observation have heretofore been proposed. Among these, a so-called two-eye-type stereo system, which is arranged to record two images with a parallax, corresponding to visual points of left and right eyes, and provides these two images to the left and right eyes, individually, has the simplest structure capable of producing a profound effect in spite of low cost and has been used from old times up to the present date.
With the two-eye-type stereo system, even though a so-called personal-use-type device has the restrictions of only one person being able to observe the image at one time, a system employing a stereo pair images is the most fundamental and classic method and has been still widely used today as a system enabling the observation of a clear stereo image at an extremely low cost.
An example of a stereo image pickup apparatus employing a stereo adapter is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-218506 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses technology wherein a system controller includes a stereo adapter detector section for detecting the loading or unloading of a stereo adapter, an automatic exposure (AE) control section for analyzing a subject image signal, related to a measured light area, for calculation of measured light information needed for exposure control, and a measured light area setting section for setting the above-described measured light area and having a function of setting measured light areas different from each other in accordance with a normal shooting mode and a stereo shooting mode for thereby enabling the setting of measured light areas optimum for the normal shooting mode and the stereo shooting mode.
In such a way, the two-eye-type stereo system adopts a method of displaying the same subject on one image frame at left and right areas thereof in the form of two images (hereinafter referred to as monocular images) misaligned from each other in accordance with a parallax. That is, with the two-eye-type stereo system, with a view to obtaining a stereoscopic feeling from the one image frame (hereinafter also referred to as an integrated image) with the monocular images placed on the left and right areas of the image frame, the monocular images placed in the integrated image on the left and right areas thereof are observed with the right eye or the left eye, individually. Fusing the two images observed with the left and right eyes into one image enables an image to be recognized with a stereoscopic feeling. The image (hereinafter referred to as a fused image) appearing on recognition causes perspective to occur in various parts depending on the amount of misalignment in various parts of the left and right monocular images.
And now, image data, dealt by an electronic camera, includes a data format under the Exif standard that has become widely used. The Exif standard adheres to a file (JPEG file) format under the JPEG standard. That is, image data is treated as image data under the JPEG standard and the JPEG files each have a header portion Exif data (metadata). Metadata of the Exif standard is described in the TIFF format and includes information such as a shooting date and time and thumbnails and the like.
Information, related to a stereo image, can be described using such metadata. For instance, in practice, the left and right monocular images resulting from the shooting with the use of the stereo adapter encounter an eclipse occurring on a boundary area or deviation occurring in a focused position. With a view to correcting such an eclipse and positional deviation or the like, predetermined portions of the left and right areas are subjected to trimming to form set areas (hereinafter referred to as image frames) for effective monocular images. Since the areas of the image frames have much effect on a depth feeling of the stereo image, a need arises for the image frames to be appropriately set when processing and editing the stereo image. Describing information or the like, related to the trimming, with metadata allows the image frames to be appropriately set, making it possible to provide the fused image with an appropriate depth feeling.
And now, it is conceived that processing and editing software can be used to process and edit the stereo image. In such a case, it is not always true that the processing and editing is performed using processing and editing software (herein after referred to as 3D-compliant software) compliant with stereo images, and it is also conceived that the processing and editing may be executed using processing and editing software (hereinafter referred to as non-3D-compliant software) noncompliant with stereo images.
Commonly used processing and editing software is compliant with the Exif standard. Therefore, even when processing and editing the stereo image with non-3D-compliant software, image data can be processed without causing damage to a metadata area. However, it is difficult to edit the metadata area related to the stereo image using non-3D-compliant software.